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| Pease Development Authority | |
|---|---|
| Name | Pease Development Authority |
| Formation | 1991 |
| Headquarters | Portsmouth, New Hampshire |
| Leader title | Executive Director |
| Leader name | Charles F. Arlinghaus (example) |
Pease Development Authority is a public agency created to manage the former Pease Air Force Base site in the Seacoast Region of New Hampshire. The Authority administers land use, real estate development, and facility management on the Pease Commerce Center and coordinates aviation activity at Portsmouth International Airport at Pease. It operates at the intersection of regional planning, New Hampshire Department of Transportation projects, and federal property conversion processes such as those overseen by the Base Realignment and Closure Commission.
The property originated as Pease Air Force Base, established in the 1930s and expanded during World War II and the Cold War. Following decisions by the Base Realignment and Closure Commission in the late 1980s and early 1990s, federal closure prompted creation of a reuse authority to implement the Formerly Used Defense Sites conversion and transfer programs. The newly formed Authority collaborated with the United States Air Force, the United States Army Corps of Engineers, and state entities including the Office of the Governor of New Hampshire to redevelop runways, hangars, and industrial parcels into the Pease Commerce Center and Portsmouth International Airport at Pease. Early redevelopment drew on partnerships with local municipalities such as Portsmouth, New Hampshire, Rochester, New Hampshire, and Durham, New Hampshire, and engaged regional bodies including the Seacoast MPO and Greater Portsmouth Chamber of Commerce.
The Authority is governed by a board established under a state statute enacted by the New Hampshire General Court. Its board appointments involve the Governor of New Hampshire and confirmations influenced by county and municipal officials, and it interacts with agencies such as the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services and Federal Aviation Administration. Executive management coordinates with legal counsel experienced in National Environmental Policy Act compliance and with economic development partners like the New Hampshire Business Finance Authority and regional chambers of commerce such as Greater Portsmouth Chamber of Commerce.
Properties managed include former military infrastructure repurposed for civilian use: long runways retained from Pease Air Force Base, large hangars adapted for employers including aerospace and logistics firms, and business parks hosting corporations from sectors represented by organizations like the New Hampshire Port Authority and Massachusetts Port Authority. The site contains industrial parcels, office campuses, and conservation tracts proximate to Great Bay and Harris Island Preserve. Utilities projects have involved coordination with Unitil Corporation and the Northern New England Interstate Water Pollution Control Commission for sewer and stormwater systems.
The Authority has pursued business attraction strategies modeled on redevelopment efforts at other former bases such as Charleston Naval Base and Fort Devens, recruiting aerospace, manufacturing, and technology firms. Major tenants and initiatives have included cold storage logistics, aviation services at Portsmouth International Airport at Pease, and business incubators in partnership with institutions like the University of New Hampshire and the New Hampshire Small Business Development Center. Financing tools have drawn on tax increment financing precedents and state agencies including the New Hampshire Business Finance Authority and federal programs administered by the Economic Development Administration. Redevelopment projects have sought compatibility with regional growth strategies coordinated through organizations such as the Seacoast MPO and the Southern New Hampshire Planning Commission.
Redevelopment has required remediation under protocols similar to Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act procedures, coordination with the Environmental Protection Agency and the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services, and monitoring of contamination at former fuel storage and munitions handling sites. Conservation and public access efforts have linked parcels to the Great Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve and recreational trails connected to the Piscataqua River waterfront. The Authority has balanced industrial leases with habitat protection involving partnerships with The Nature Conservancy and local land trusts such as the Seacoast Land Trust.
The Authority operates Portsmouth International Airport at Pease, coordinating with the Federal Aviation Administration on airfield certifications, instrument approaches, and airspace use. Surface access projects have included roadway connections to Interstate 95 and state routes, and freight linkages to Port of New Hampshire and regional rail corridors administered by entities such as New England Central Railroad. Aviation activity at Pease has been shaped by airline service from carriers similar to JetBlue Airways, seasonal charters, and general aviation operators based at the field.
Controversies have involved land use disputes between economic proponents and conservation advocates, debates over tax incentives similar to controversies faced by Massachusetts Port Authority projects, and scrutiny of environmental remediation timelines comparable to cases under the Environmental Protection Agency Superfund program. Critics have highlighted tensions with nearby municipalities such as Newington and regional stakeholders over noise, stormwater impacts, and development density, echoing disputes in other base conversion projects like Adak Naval Air Station and Naval Base San Diego transitions. Legal challenges have occasionally invoked state administrative law processes before tribunals similar to the New Hampshire Superior Court.
Category:Organizations established in 1991 Category:Portsmouth, New Hampshire Category:Airports in New Hampshire